Police Investigating Antisemitic Vandalism at Three Israeli Restaurants in Portland
Graffiti found at the Eastside Portland location of the Shalom Y’all restaurant on Sunday, January 10, 2021. Photo: StandWithUs Facebook account
Police are investigating after three Israeli-style restaurants in Portland, Oregon were vandalized with antisemitic graffiti on Sunday.
Graffiti found at two locations of the Shalom Y’all restaurants included messages such as “Murder,” “Free Palestine,” and “hummus is not Israeli,” according to photos posted on social media.
“We are incredibly disheartened by these actions,” said the restaurants’ co-owners, Kasey Mills, Jamal Hassan, and Laura Amans, in a statement to The Algemeiner. “We are committed to operating inclusive spaces, and do not tolerate messages of hate or racism in any form.”
Portland Police Bureau detectives were notified of the incidents after police took a report at the restaurant’s Eastside location Sunday, spokesperson Derek Carmon told The Algemeiner. Aviv, a vegan hummus restaurant owned by an Israeli chef, was also vandalized late Saturday, according to The Oregonian.
In Nov. 2019, local news channel KGW8 reported that police were investigating a separate hate crime at Shalom Y’all, after hackers replaced the establishment’s voicemail greeting with antisemitic messages.
“We are so thankful for the outpouring of support we have received from the community over the last 24 hours,” said the Shalom Y’all co-owners in the statement Monday. “We encourage you to help us in supporting the Oregon Coalition Against Hate Crime.”
The three started the Sesame Collective restaurant group in 2020, which also includes Mediterranean Exploration Company, Yalla, and Bless Your Heart Burgers, all in Portland.